Understudy
by Meyuga
Summary: It was a simple Jinchūriki mission. Extract the Sanbi no Kyodaigame and leave. Only, they weren't planning on the Jinchūriki to have a sister. ItachiOC.
1. Waiting In The Rain

The sky around them was dreary and cloudy, the once brilliant sun now gone; hidden behind a blanket of thick, gray clouds and the night sky. The rain was almost predictable in its comings, heavy, then light, pause for a day , then a merciless down pour again. Itachi Uchiha sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He and his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, was given the assignment to obtain the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. Thus why he and his shark-like partner were crammed up inside a small, run down inn on the outskirts of Kirigakure.

The two men were perched upon a small precipice, looking down at the village of Kirigakure, both having very different feelings about the mission. Itachi, not born of the Mist, could care less of the pitiful publians below. Kisame, on the other hand was looking at his hometown with a malicious smirk on his face. Oh he remembered how they treated him, how they mocked him and shunned him for his appearance. His chakra levels were rising at the thought of thoughtlessly slaying his own kind. Itachi slid his crimson eyes over to Kisame, a frown creasing his lips ever so slightly. His partner's chakra level was rising to the point of recognition.

"Kisame." Itachi murmured, his voice blank, but having an edge to it. The blue skinned man chuckled darkly, waving a hand in a dismissive manner.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." he muttered, reaching behind his shoulder to place his semi scaly hand on the hilt of his beloved bandaged sword, Samehada. Reacting to his chakra, the sword trembled and wavered under the bandages, a thin, rasping chuckling escaping Kisame's lips.

"Now?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. There was a pause as Itachi mulled over the quesiton and coming up with several answers. Finally, he allowed a tiny smirk to pull the corner of his mouth up as he turned.

"Hn." was the reply and Kisame nodded his head, an air of business around him. With the final word to go, they both turned, dashing back on the path that they arrived on. Kirigakure wouldn't know what hit them.

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Itamou sighed, laying his chin on his crossed arms as he followed the raindrop with his eyes. Kirigakure, his home, never seemed to see the sunlight. The sixteen year old boy tried to peer through the blinding sheets of rain, trying to catch a glimpse of his father. _Where is he.. It doesn't take that long to cross the bridge, does it?_ he thought. His father had promised to be back, before dinner, on today. He and his squad had left four days ago to deliver a document to Kumogakure's leader, the Raikage. His dark oak eyes were half lidded as he squinted, desperately trying to make out the outline of his father, should he approach.

"Itamou! Itamou!! Are you listening to me?!" a female voice growled. Satako, his younger sister, stood in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. He muttered something under her breath, leaning back away from the window and tilting his head towards her.

"What were you saying, Imoutou?" he teased, a lazy grin crawling over his face. The young girl seethed in anger, her onyx eyes narrowing.

"I said... could you get some water from the well? Ka-chan needs it to boil the potatoes." she snapped, her black bangs falling in front of her left eye.

"Sure, sure.." he mumbled, pushing off the couch and slinking to the back room.

He and his sister were alike, yet different in so many ways. He was on the verge of becoming a Tokubetsu Jōnin, while she was still in the beginning of her Chûnin years. He was lazy, and usually only motivated by his Father, while Satako was encouraged by the whole family. That's not to say that the family didn't motivate him, it was just that he got the most out of it, if it was his Father. They also differed in their skills. Itamou was more of a taijutsu boy then a regular ninjutsu or genjutsu. His sister, on the other hand, was exceptional in genjutsu and ninjutsu.

Sighing as he pulled the door back, listening to the door slide back on the track, Itamou walked inside the dark room. The air was cold, but tolerable and in the center of the dirt-floor room was the well.

"Now why couldn't she have done this.." he asked to no one in particular, walking over to the well and tieing the rope around the handle of the bucket. Tossing it carelessly into the deep opening on the stone figure, the boy listened to the satisfying splash as the wooden bucket hit the water. Turning his eyes back to the little window on the wall, a frown graced his lips. _Father.. what in Kami's name is taking you so long?_ he thought.

Satako worked alongside her mother, chopping up radishes and peppers like she was told. Her hands quickly worked the knife with the fragile hands of a confident kunoichi and slide the bits of radish to the left, while she herded the peppers to the right.

"Satako-chan.. what's got your mind preoccupied?" her mother asked, her hands diligetnly washing off potatoes.

"Oh! N-Nothing, Ka-chan. I just have a small headache..." she lied, feigning a smile to her beloved parent. The young woman, however, was not fooled.

"Satako.." she started, that edge in her voice. She only used that when she wanted answers. A sigh left her daughters lips.

"I'm worried.. Tou-san isn't back yet.." she murmured, voicing her brother's worry as well. A frown worked at her mother's lips and she sighed, turning the water off from the sink.

"Dinner hasn't been started.. so I'm sure your Father will be here soon." she murmured lovingly, wiping her hands on her apron. "Go see whats taking your brother so long.. make sure he hasn't fallen asleep like last time." she instructed, patting Satako gingerly on the back.

"Yes Ka-chan.." she huffed, turning on her heel and padding towards the back room.

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The world around them became a blur. Black cloaks blended in with the night, their footsteps quieted by the chakra that each accumulated to the soles of their feet. Their straw hats stayed in place, hardly moving at all. Kisame grinned as he felt the familiar rain pelt down on the hat, his face staying dry as they ran. He couldn't wait to see the look on the vessels face, when they made their presence known. Leaping from one rooftop to the next, the Akatsuki members neared the house of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame.

Itachi landed stealthily on the shingled roof, masking his chakra so no one would detect him. The Uchiha felt Kisame doing it too, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. He figured the shark-esque man would be too excited about carnage and being back in his home village.

Inside, they could hear a conversation going on and silently, they counted. Three people in the house. It was going to be easy. Swift and possibly the cleanest mission they've ever had. Focusing his energy, the Uchiha disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kisame pouted slightly, not liking the idea of stealth and becoming the shadows. He'd much rather just barge in, slice and dice, then get out. Though, Itachi was skilled and knew what he was doing, so without complaint, the blue-skinned man followed suit.

The room itself was small and damp, having cold dirt as the only carpet. In the center was a medium sized stone well, with a little wooden roof and a pulley system for the bucket. Hidden amongst the shadows, the two members watched. There was a boy, no older than sixteen hunched over the well , tugging up on the rope. Apparently, the pulley system was just for show.

Muttering to himself, Itamou hoisted the bucket up onto the ledge of the well and started to untie the knot he had made. Something in the room didn't feel right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Frustrated, he yanked the rope off, tossing it to the far corner of the room where it made an awkward slumping noise. Freezing, Itamou replayed the sound in his head and swallowed the up coming fear in his throat. Someone else was in the room with him. Cursing under his breath, he slowly rose from his crouched position, hand gracing over his kunia holster on his right leg. _Whoever it is must have masked their chakra.. clever. _Itamou set his jaw tight, tensing his body and equally distributing his weight throughout his body. Being a taijutsu boy, he didn't really have to use chakra.

A grin crawled over Kisame's face as the Jinchūriki noticed their presence. His beady black eyes slithered over to Itachi, waiting for the signal. The kid already knew someone was in the room with him, he just didn't know who he was up against. Itachi nodded his head, tossing off the straw hat and getting right down to business. Kisame laughed lightly, mimicking his partner and rushing forward.

"Hey there." Kisame greeted, grinning and showing off his rows of jagged, sharpened teeth to the boy. He took a step forward, hand still poised around the hilt of Samehada. The sword itself was eager for the fight. Kisame saw the teens hand lingering around the kunia holster and tutted. "Wouldn't do that if I were you. Our boss wants us to bring you back in one piece.. so.. if you try to fight us, that wont be likely." he warned. Itamou stopped, his onyx eyes widened slightly. They.. wanted to take him? Tough chance! The teens hand gripped the kunia tighter, his body becoming more tense.

"..Ah! Y-You're Hoshigaki Kisame! The traitor of our village!" Itamou stuttered out, his face painted with shock. The blue skinned man grinned, chuckling as he looked over to the second man, clad in the same outfit.

"Hear that, Itachi-san? I'm still known..." he gloated, resting Samehada on his shoulder blade. Itachi made no move nor response to Kisame's remark. His scarlet eyes honed in on the vessel, his body tensing.

"Kisame. Enough fooling around. Let us finish this." he ordered, his tone bored and resigned. The man had shed his straw hat a while ago, and now his raven locks were tied securely at the nape of his neck. Itamou growled, preparing himself for an attack.

Within a blink of an eye, Kisame had lunged foreward, swinging his sword down to absorb the boys chakra. Itamou smirked, leaping away from the blow, but felt the tug as his chakra was sucked away. A frown creased the man's lips.

"Seems that you don't use chakra, eh boy? Pity.. I would have gone easier on you than Itachi.." Kisame tutted, shaking his head. Lifting an eyebrow in confusion, the young Jinchūriki barely had time to evade the sharpened knife that the other man aimed to jab into his shoulder.

"Gah!" Falling back, Itamou tripped over the rope, falling back on his rear and wincing at the pain that slid up his back. Raising his own kunia to counter the other, the young boy glared into the red orbs of his attacker. _W-What are they after me for!?_ he thought. Itamou scrambled back, leaping to his feet and looking around wildly. The blue-skinned man was just leaning against his sword, but the other male had seemed to disappear.

"N-Nan--!" Itamou choked out, feeling the air leave his lungs. Itachi ground his knuckles into the Jinchūriki's stomach for good measure, listening to the oxygen leave the boy's system. Face as stoic as ever, the S-rank criminal let his body fall, nudging him over with his sandaled foot.

The sound of a the door sliding brought everyone's attention to the enterance.

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** Alright everyone; First chapter is up! So.. is it going too fast? Too slow? Just right?  
Tell me.. No flames. This is my first Itachi attempt. Ahah.. so feedback, please?! **


	2. Capture The Flag

Itamou's eyes widened as he watched the door slide back, revealing his slender sister.

"No, Satako go back!" he ordered breathlessly, coughing. The air wouldn't fill his lungs quick enough. Itamou's vision started to become blurry, but he could make out one figure heading towards his sister. "Satako!!" he yelled in a hoarse voice.

The young kunoichi gasped, seeing her elder brother on the floor in the fetal position, one hand wrapped around his waist. She'd never seen such a pitiful display from him and it caused white-hot anger to rush through her veins. Something about seeing two guys huddle over her brother like that made her adrenaline rush. Her mind instantly switched to defense mode, her fingers easily flipping over the kunia she held. _Years of training to become a Chûnin, don't fail me now!_ she silently ordered, watching as the cloaked man advanced. Running on pure adrenaline and not having enough time to react, she plunged right into the room; right into the lions den.

Itamou struggled off the cold, dirt made floor and charged at the distracted blue skinned man. Throwing all of his weight into the tackle, Itamou and Kisame tumbled to the floor. Pulling his arm back to deliver a blow to the mist-nin's face, the boy let out a guttural growl and thrusted his fist forward. Kisame, on the other hand might have been taken off guard but he certainly was expecting this. Moving his head so that the kid would punch the dirt, he bucked his hips, tossing the lightweight against the nearby wall. Watching at he went flying, the shark man chuckled, pulling himself up from the ground. Dusting himself off, the Akatsuki member growled.

"Now I just cleaned the damned thing..and you go and mess it up. Thanks a ton, you brat!" he snarled, now standing in front of the half dazed Jinchūriki. In a quick motion, he jabbed the tip of Samehada into the boys tender shoulder flesh, hearing the skin rip apart.

"Haaa!" Itamou yelled in pain, feeling his flesh get torn to ribbons. Panic-filled eyes darted and gazed into Kisame's beady little eyes, a look of hate clouding them. Samehada shuttered as it extracted the boy's chakra. Kisame smirked, allowing his beloved sword to absorb as much as it wanted, so long as it didn't kill the kid.

"Itamou!" Satako had stopped in her attack when she saw her bother get tossed into the well-room wall. She heard the sickening crack as his head and shoulder blades collided with the stone wall and shrieked when the blue-skinned man's sword tore open the flesh on her brother's shoulder. Momentarily forgetting her opponent, she pivoted her lean body to rush at Kisame, only to have somthing black and red obscure her vision. Deep, crimson scarlet eyes bore into her coal onyx hues, causing a very un-lady like curse to pelt from her mouth. Turning her head away and closing her eyes, she gathered her chakra into the soles of her feet and launched herself at the man. Feeling her body collide with something firm yet oddly soft, she channeled her chakra out of her being.

Itachi stumbled backwards, feeling the immense chakra wave that the young kunoichi was spilling out. Was he wrong? Could the Jinchūriki be this young girl? Frowning, the eldest Uchiha moved to the left, letting the girl keep falling and tossed her against the wall. This was taking too long and making too much noise. Annoyance settled into Itachi's usually emotionless face as he turned to Kisame. Well, at least Shark-boy was doing some good. _Weakening the boy? How insightful._ Itachi thought, giving mock praise for his fish-partner.

"Kisame." he muttered, his voice showing that he was tired of this. Either they got the boy away, or Itachi's temper would kill everyone. Never has a mission taken this long... and they were simply kids!

Itamou felt his eyelids get heavy and a sick icy feeling came over his body. _No, No! Get up! Stop this! Protect 'Kato-chan.. you have to..get up!_ His body screamed, but all he could do was utter a frail "stop." Seeing his lanky sister on her side against the opposite wall, he reached a hand out, reaching for her.

"Awh.. Ain't that cute, Itachi-san?" Kisame mused, a rasping chuckle following his words. "Don't it bring back memories?"

"Be quiet. I'm growing tired of this. Get the boy and let us leave." the Uchiha snarled. Kisame almost pouted, but settled for a frown. Kami, his partner was such a sour puss sometimes. Shrugging the obvious disdainful tone in the other man's voice, Kisame pulled Samehada back, resting it on his back in its rightful place.

Itamou felt the burning white pain return as the sword was pulled away from his body. Kami it hurt so bad! Panting, the boy glared up at his assailants, proud he didn't give them the satisfaction of too much screaming. Looking over to his sister again, a icy hand of fear clenched his insides. _Oh Kami no.. Move, 'Kato.. Don't you dare be dead!_ he screamed at her. As if by a miracle, her pale fingers twitched and gripped her kunia tightly, her body shaking as it forced itself up.

"You wont.. be going anywhere.. with my brother!" she roared, running quickly towards the two cloaked men. Her left arm crossed over her right and swung forward, gathering momentum as she went. In the neat slice, she managed to get the weapon tangled within the blue-skinned man's jacket, possibly even hitting his skin.

Kisame blinked, turning himself around as he heard a distinct female voice shriek, only to be met with a little black haired brat who jabbed him in the arm. Angered now, the Akatsuki member grunted, spinning her slightly and slamming her against the wall where her brother was slumped.

"Now, I'm pissed." he stated, his left hand on her throat, his right inching near the hilt of Samehada. "First, your brother gets my cloak dirty.. and now, you've further soiled it! What is it with you two punks and getting clothes dirty! I feel really bad for your Ka-chan that she's gotta wash the stains outta you two's clothes." he growled, tightening his grip around her pretty neck.

_Kuso, Ka-chan!_ Itamou thought, praying silently that their mother, for once, wasn't so caring and decided that it was best if she left. _Please.. let her be smarter than her mother-bear instincts.. _he prayed. Glaring up at the man, his whole body seemed to come alive.

The air pressure in the room began to shift and swirl, all accumulating around Itamou's slumped and bruised form. His breath became more laboured as he watched the man choke his sister, anger and hate all bubbling into one huge emotion: rage. Pure, unadulterated, rage. Letting a horrible growl rip through his chest, Itamou lunged forward, knocking Kisame away from Satako.

Itachi backed up slightly, surveying the situation. So, the Sanbi no Kyodaigame had released some of its chakra to the boy, no doubt breaking the seal slightly. Well, this certainly wasn't good, but it wasn't necessarily bad either. Listening as Kisame grumbled something under his breath, Itachi began calculating the best ways of keeping the situation in the Akatsuki's favour.

Satako felt her airway getting cut off and clawed at his hand, trying to free herself. Spots danced in front of her eyes as the man spoke, her gaze getting one good look at his headband. _Mist.._ she thought hazily, her grip on his wrist loosening. She heard an animalistic roar from beside her, but she couldn't remember if she had a dog or not. She didn't think so.. Ka-chan was allergic.. and Tou-san didn't like pets. Her body hit the ground in a crumpled heap. Air flooded her lungs again and slowly started to awaken her dulled senses. Remembering that she was in the middle of a battle, the teen struggled through her foggy mind and was now in a crouching position, her trembling hands gripping a few shuriken.

Kisame jumped back on his feet, not allowing his body to be tackled a second time. Sensing the new found chakra, a grin split his sharky features. Samehada writhed with want as it picked up on the new chakra. Grinning, Kisame tugged forth his sword and swooped it near the now raging kid, allowing the sharkskin blade to suck up its energy.

"I-Itamou..?" Satako yelped out in surprise, seeing her brother in a fury. His eyes were now a bright blue, having matching chakra swirling around his body in the form of three.. tails? This didn't make sense.. her brother never used chakra. He was a taijutsu person, not a nin or genjutsu using shinobi. Seeing him like that.. scared her? Yes.. that seemed appropriate. "Itamou!" she screamed, hoping to reach her brother.

Itachi looked upon this scene with little amusement. Apparenlt,y the girl hadn't known about the beat locked within her brother. It always seemed to be the same routine with a loved one once they've figured something tragic out. Idly, his mind wandered back to the night of his clans murder and remembered the same look that this girl displayed on the face of his Imoutou, Sasuke.

"You did not know? You're brother is a Jinchūriki to the Sanbi no Kyodaigame." he explained without any trace of interest in his voice. In fact, he seemed rather annoyed that he had to tell her what her own brother was. "We are here to take him." he added smugly.

Satako glared at the man as he spoke, taking it in, but not fully registering it. _A Jinchawatta? _she thought in hysterics. Whatever it was, it was still Itamou.

"I dont care what he is! That's my brother and you will **not** take him!" she ordered, manifesting her chakra and sending it through her fingertips. Tossing the shuriken at top speed, the chakra flung the weapons towards the raven-haired man. Her onyx eyes narrowed as he went to move, her fingertips dancing in the air.

_Strings? How genin-like._ Itachi thought, gracefully dodging the returning star-shaped weapons. In a single movement, the chakra strings were severed, and he was now advancing on the young kunoichi. She had plucked his last nerve and she was hindering the mission's success.

Lashing out, he pressed his hand against her collarbone, sending spurts of his chakra into the attack.

Satako barely had time to assess her position before the speed-demon of a man appeared in front of her. A crushing sensation landed upon her chest and stole her breath away, a splitting pain hitting her collarbone as she was sent back against the wall.

"Kisame, seal the chakra away. This has gone on for long enough." Itachi ordered, his words clipped. Listening to his partner mutter something about being a spoil sport, the Uchiha was glad to hear the pained snarl of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. It meant this mission was finally going to be over.

"Itamou-nii-san!!" Satako screamed, watching the boy fall to his knees. He wasn't dead, she knew that much. There had been no bloodshed, and she didn't see any other obvious flesh wounds besides the one put on his shoulder earlier. Pushing off the wall, she went to side step the man, only to have the stone wall his against her spinal column. Arching her back in pain, the girl felt a firm and warm hand wrap around her neck. _Not again!_ she mentally groaned, making sure to actually suck in a breath if she was going to be choked. Instead, the hand wasn't as constricting as the other attacker's, it was more of a firm hold; like what her Tou-san use to do when she was learning how to scale walls with her chakra. Gasping, Satako made the mistake of looking into her assailants eyes.

Itachi tilted the dark haired kunoichi's chin up slightly, giving a quick and hard squeeze in order for her to open her eyes. Once her eyelids snapped open, he allowed his sharingan to twirl, creating an illusion. He had been smart though, noting how in the beginning of the battle she was able to manipulate her chakra well, he had secured her slender wrists with one hand. Watching as her eyes fluttered shut and her tense body became flaccid, he allowed the girl to fall into his frame before unceremoniously tossing her over his shoulder. Turning, he saw Kisame resting against the wall, the Jinchūriki slung over his shoulder as well.

"You're taking the squeaking brat, Itachi-san?" Kisame quiered, his blue eyebrow arched in slight astonishment. "I mean.. she's cute and fiesty, but I dont know if Pein-sama would appreciate you bringin' home strays." he taunted.

Itachi sent a heart-freezing glare towards his partner. "She's seen to much. If I let her go, she will undeniable cause a problem within her village. A disruption that should cause in the Akatsuki's goals and appearance to be known." he hissed. "You'd be wise enough next time to shut your mouth." he added in a clipped tone. "You toying with the both of them resulted in such."

"Right. Sorry Itachi-san." Kisame muttered, rolling his eyes. Man, he wished his partner would lighten up at least a thread. Hoisting the boy a bit upwards so that he would be on Kisame's shoulders a tad higher, the shark man felt his limb relax slightly. Now the positions were evenly comfortable.

Exiting the way they came, both Akatsuki members left the house, thankfully with the Jinchūriki alive. Itachi gave a small nod of approval as his shark-partner managed to seal up the tear he had caused in the boy's shoulder. The last thing they wanted was to arrive back at headquarters with a dead Jinchūriki. He could just imagine Kisame now; "Yeah.. we had him alive.. but he bled out." Feeling his shoulder give a little throb, Itachi switched the girl from his shoulder to a more comfortable position. After all, even if he was an S-rank criminal, deep inside he was still a gentleman. Carting the kunoichi in a bridal-style way, the two made their journey back to the inn at which they were pinned up at.

Tonight was a close call.

* * *

** Alrighty folks. Another chapter bites the dust. So, there was a lot of action in this one, yeah? SO, if you read it, you better review it. Thanks to Slug Princess for reviewing my first chapter, so I suppose this one is dedicated to her. :3 **

**Ja ne.  
**


	3. Nemo & Friends

The room was dimly lit, the walls smelling of mildew and stale sex. The motel was a rundown place on the outskirts of Kirigakure. It was unbecoming enough that no one would have suspected it to be a hide-out for Akatsuki members.

Kisame slung the boy down on the bed, grinning as his body twitched in pain. The little bastard had certainly caused a ruckus with Kisame, and the ex mist-nin didn't have any qualms about knocking his lights out more than a few times. The blue-skinned man walked over to the table, claiming a chair and twirling it around backwards, before falling into it, arms crossed over the back of it. His beady black eyes kept staring at Itamou and gave him a warning look.

Itachi frowned as he walked in, his nose wrinkling the slightest as his sense of smell was over come by mildew and gym socks. Damn Kakuzu for being a cheap skate with the money. He and Kisame were in separate rooms, but had a door connecting the rooms. The elder Uchiha decided that it was best if the Jinchūriki and his kin separated. Shutting the door to his room, the man placed the young kunoichi down on the musty bed. He took a few minutes to actually look at the girl who was stupid enough to challenge him.

She was a tiny, wiry looking thing. Her face as smooth and as pale as the moon and probably soft as well. From this position, her raven locks, much like his own, had curled around her face and framed it. If he remembered correctly, the girl had onyx eyes, much like Sasuke's. A frown creased his lips as he turned away from her, heading towards the door that connected his and Kisame's room.

Kisame laughed at the kid on the bed, watching him squirm and writhe under the chakra bonds. The man snorted, picking his head up from his crossed arms. The kid was starting to make a lot of noise and then someone would be questioning. That was something Kisame wanted.

"Hey, Kid shut up. You're makin' too much noise." Kisame barked, his eyes narrowing. Looking up as he heard the door close, the blue-skinned man met the crimson eyes of Itachi. He jerked a thumb in Itamou's direction. "He's a wiggly one." he commented.

Itamou growled low in his throat, tugging at the chakra binds that held him. Damn them.. damn them all! He arched his back and writhed, cussing all the while.

"Lemme go! Satako! Where is my sister! What have you done to her! Satako!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. His dark eyes snapped over to Itachi, his wrists tugging harder at the binds. "Satako!!" He yelled.

Itachi rolled his crimson eyes, walking over and silencing the teen with a swift knock to the neck. In silent satisfaction, he watched as the Jinchūriki flopped back against the musty old bed.

Kisame picked his head up, watching as Itachi delivered a blow to the neck and then taking in the sight of the shinobi flop unceremoniously against the bed. A small trickle of fear seeped into his veins.

"The thing is still alive, right?" he queried, picking up Samehada and jabbing the shark skin lightly against Itamou's arm. The sword quivered, eagerly eating up the chakra that the boy emanated. "Down boy. Jesus." Kisame muttered, pulling the shark skin back and resting it against the table.

"I have contacted Leader and informed him about our where abouts and how our mission went." Itachi spoke, pulling out a chair for himself. He unbuttoned his cloak, shrugging his shoulders out of the material. He sighed quietly, looking at Kisame's eyes. Itachi was clad in a simple black T-shirt, a netted shirt underneath the cotton fabric. For pants, the Akatsuki member had on a pair of navy blue sweats.

"So, I'm guessing transportation will be here.. three days?" Kisame asked, dropping his head back down onto his folded arms. Itachi nodded once in answer this obvious question.

"Though Leader was not happy about the girl." Itachi muttered, his eyes harbouring a bored, tense look. Kisame snorted.

"Well, I could have told you that; Hell, I **did** tell you that." he scolded lightly.

"Perhaps she could be of some use." Itachi mused, clearly ignoring the blue skinned mans chiding. Yes, the girl held minimum potential. She managed to clip Kisame with a kunia, but that was because of his own ignorance and failure to pay attention to the whole situation. She could be a maid, seeing as how the other members were slobs. Hidan in particular. Or perhaps their personal lackey? Sighing, the raven haired man stood, pushing his chair in.

"Like what? Jesus Itachi shes a kid and annoying at that." Kisame retorted. "We could just slice n' dice her before Franklin the Turtle snaps our heads off." he pointed out.

Itachi sighed, standing up and pushing his chair in and headed towards the motel room door. He paused, one firm hand poised over the door knob and looked over his shoulder.

"I'll return around eight. Kisame, do not to anything to hinder the success of our mission any further. Do you understand?" Itachi spoke, his voice hard and tight. That made the shark man gulp and nod his head.

The door shut quietly, and the ex Kiri-nin exhaled, looking over at the boy.

"Man, you're a big heap-um pain in my ass." he retorted at the unconscious boy.

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The smell of something akin to stale sex and rotten cheese filled the young Kirigakure kunoichi's nose. She wrinkled up her nose and stopped breathing, cracking her tired onyx eyes open to stare directly at a cockroach. Satako screeched, flailing before falling out of the cheap, old motel bed. She hit the floor with a light thump and hissed in pain as her head collided with the nightstand. Toes curling in pain, she reached behind her, rubbing the spot she hit.

"Ouch.." she muttered under her breath. Her dark eyes looked around the room and noticed quickly that it wasn't her house. Her house.._Oh hell!_ she thought in panic, scrambling to her feet at an impressive speed. However, the impressive speed also made her loose her balance, making her stagger forwards and pitched her head first. Screwing her eye shut, she reached out blindly, only to grip a soft, silk like fabric between her fingers. Hearing someone shift, she noticed that said figure had placed two firm hands on either side of her skinny, bruised arms. She blinked, looking up and staring into two beady black eyes.

Kisame was watching the little runt, his grin broadening at the sight of her flailing off the bed. Hell, she was a riot to look at. Her raven locks were tousled and mused to and fro, and evident sleep fogged her vision. He let out a smothered chuckle that sounded like an amused snort. He moved closer to her, watching her leap up with incredible speed. Seeing her head for another fall, he reached out and steadied her. He couldn't suppress the psychotic grin that plastered itself on his face, showing off his razor, pointed teeth as she looked up at him in fear.

"Well hi there." he mused, a look of preditorial amusement in his eyes.

Satako felt like the air had been pulled out of her lungs. She was staring into two, beady little eyes that looked like the belonged on a stuffed rabbit. Then, her instinct kicked in, overriding her fear. Screwing her eyes shut, she rose her leg and kicked him in the side, making him tighten his grip on her already bruised arms.

"Let go!" she ordered, her voice reaching the point of hysterics. She didn't really know what was going on, or where she was. What she did remember, however was that this man had injured her brother, and he was going to pay.

"Ouch, damn it. You little brat; that's the thanks I get for cushioning your fall?" Kisame growled out, shaking off the little kick. It didn't hurt, it was just annoying. Tossing the girl back on the bed, he gave her a smirk, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"You know what? I think I'm starting to understand why guys like the feisty ones." he taunted.

Satako froze on the bed, her face once white and pale was now flushed crimson. Oh, she was gunna knock that smirk right off of his unattractive face. _Oh shut up and think; This man is obviously an S-rank criminal; he's in the villages bingo book for Kami sake._ Satako told herself fiercely. If she went in blindly, out for revenge, he'd kill her no questions asked. So instead, she crossed her legs and arms, sitting Indian style on the bed and stared at him.

Kisame inwardly pouted. The girl wasn't giving into his taunts and jeers like he'd hope, which made her boring and not worth pestering. After all, he did need to go and check up on the Jinchūriki. Shrugging his shoulders, the man walked back to the entrance of her room, not bothering to use the side connecting door; that'd give away that the rooms were connected and Kisame didn't want that. He gave her one last grin, before shutting the door.

Satako let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and fell back onto the bed, her arm slung across her eyes. Damn it all, she was stuck here and that creepy shark man was lurking around. So what, she was a prisoner now? She snorted, an image of her in a black and white suit flashing across her mind, before the pessimistic side of her inner self killed it. A sigh left her lips. Well, she was a Kirigakure shinobi and wasn't going to just dawdle around here and wait to be rescued. No, she wasn't helpless and she'd be damned if a so called prince in tin foil was going to strut up on his over sized donkey and save her ass. Pushing herself up, she surveyed the room. The walls weren't very solid, and a couple of chakra-induced punches or kicks would shatter them to dust. A grin split her bruised face. These guys weren't as smart as they thought they were. Or maybe, she could escape just as quietly as a weasel. Or a mouse. Yes, she liked the thought of a mouse better.

The young girl casted out her chakra, making sure that no other chakra levels were present. A frown creased her lips, remembering how the two people got into her house anyway. They _masked_ their chakra. Silently praying to whatever deity was up there that no one else was in the room, as she walked over to the window.

Of course; just her freakin' luck. She was stuck on the third floor. Inching closer, she pressed her face against the glass as she looked down. If she jumped, she wouldn't make it. That was just insane and suicidal. For a normal person however, but Satako was a Kirigakure Kunoichi with excellent chakra control. _But What about Nii-san.._ she thought suddenly. She couldn't leave Itamou with these people. Who knows what they'd do to him. _I dont even know who has him_ she thought miserably. Man, she just couldn't get it together right now. Her brain felt like a bunch of butterflies had been trapped up in her head.

"Well, its now or never." she told herself, trying to open the window as quietly as she could. The first squeak of the frame made her heart stop beating in her chest. Pausing in her actions, she counted. _Ich...Nii..San.._ She formed her chakra in her hand and then filtered it through the window. Shoving the window open, the frame barely creaked that time. She let out a silent breath and tried to steady her shaking frame. This was it. She was really going to get out of here.

The gears in her head started to turn as she perched herself on the sill. It was night now, into the early hours of the dark. If she remembered, her diner that the family was suppose to eat was at seven.. or was it six?

"Kuso.." she cursed, shaking her raven locked head. The time didn't really matter to her. Gathering her senses and centering herself, she pulled her chakra into her middle core and channeled it to her feet. Poised on the sill like a panther, the girl allowed a few seconds to tick by where the wind just caressed her face and teased her hair. Almost as if it was encouraging her. Gulping down a huge breath, the girl eased herself to where her legs were dangling. Her eyes squeezed shut, so that she couldn't see how far down she was, and placed her foot against the stone wall. And then the other.

She felt the chakra bond with the stone elements and immediately recognized the feeling of her chakra binding her to the wall; almost as if she were walking on the Earth. She let out the breath she was holding and sucked in another one. Now it was time for her to become parallel to the wall...which meant she'd have to let go of the sill and swing from her torso up, forward. Letting go of the sill, she felt the air hit her face and blow back her raven hair and then her body jerked forward to a stop. She felt her nails digging into her fisted palms and her eyes began to ache from being squeezed so tightly. Cracking one eye open, she saw the misty ground below and the tiny ant like people walking in and going out. Oh Kami she did it!

Wasting no time, Satako scaled the wall, inching over to the next window. Assuming that this was where they were keeping Itamou, the young girl crept towards the sill. Scurrying under the jutting sill, she focused her chakra to swirl around her tiptoes as she peeked over the sill. Idly, she felt like a child on Christmas morning.

Inside, the room looked a lot similar to the dull one she had woken up in. Same basic design: Two beds, a dresser in the middle with a lamp and a paling yellow phone. Green musty carpet and chipped pain and wallpaper curling off the walls.

She squinted, trying to see further into the room. There was something lumpy looking on the far bed to the left..something that oddly had the shape of a person. Her coal eyes widened. So, Shark Man had her beloved brother. What the hell was she going to do now? She couldn't take on Kisame all by her onesy. Hell, she shot she got in back at the house was luck...and his stupidity.

A shadow casted over the wall and the young girl's breath hitched in her throat. _Time to go._ she thought hastily, channeling her chakra to swirl through her feet and not just her tiptoes this time. Hunkering down, she scooted along the wall, praying that the fish man wouldn't see her. When a couple of seconds passed, she had made it to the side of the building, her arm reaching out to barely touch the black metal fire escape. Her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth slightly as she tried again to reach the structure.

"Rrgh.." she sounded, swinging her body forward and latching onto the frame for dear life. Like a monkey she scrambled her way under the metal work and finally stood up on a caged like floor. Suddenly she felt weak, but she couldn't stop now!

Rushing down the steps, Satako could feel her body screaming at her to stop. Gritting her teeth, she took each step three at a time, ignoring the clattering noises. He'd never be able to hear her. Finally, she reached the last ladder and kicked it, listening as the structure rattled down. Idly, she wondered if she should have held onto it as it plummeted to the Earth.

Wasting no time what so ever, the kunoichi scrambled down the ladder, her feet clumsily slipping off many of the dows. Satako swallowed back a yip of fright when her foot slipped for the third time. _Calm down..._she ordered herself, her wiry frame shaking and her breath coming out in little pants. Her body was covered in a small sheen of sweat, the cause from over inducing chakra when her body just couldn't.

As soon as her zori hit the gravel, the girl spun off the ladder and ran. She didn't exactly know where this direction was going to take her, but it was better than staying with Nemo and his... sidekick? _Oh shit!_ She skidded to a stop, her chest heaving up and down. There were two of them. She remembered clearly the crimson eyes and the black hair and the way he spoke as if nothing mattered but success. How could she have been so foolish?!

"Hells bells.."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. **


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